Synthesis of MXene quantum dot-modified urchin-like NiCoP/NF nanostructures as high-performance peroxidase mimics for sensitive colorimetric detection of glyphosate

Currently, the rational design of high-performance analogue nanozymes applied for food safety has become a current research hotspot. The detection of glyphosate (Glyp) is becoming more and more important due to its potential hazards to the health. Here, we prepared 0.5 MQDs-NiCoP/NF nanozymes with significant peroxidase activity using a straightforward combination of a hydrothermal method and a phosphorylation process. The catalytic mechanism of 0.5 MQDs-NiCoP/NF was investigated by steady-state fluorescence analysis and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), which demonstrated that 0.5 MQDs-NiCoP/NF could effectively decompose H₂O₂ and generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the enhanced catalytic performance of 0.5 MQDs-NiCoP/NF nanocomposites stems from the synergistic interfacial interaction between NiCoP and MQDs. Consequently, a facile colorimetric sensing platform was developed for the quantitative detection of Glyp, demonstrating a wide linear response scope of 1.5–300 μM and an exceptionally low detection limit of 1.06 μM.